Christmas has come early for the students at Brockett Elementary School.
In an inspiring show of community support, Thomas’ Breads of Atlanta joined forces with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that provides brand-new coats and shoes to children in need.
Together, they distributed 420 new coats to the students of Brockett Elementary in Tucker, ensuring that every child at the school is prepared for the winter months ahead.
Thomas’ Bread’s employee volunteers visited Brockett Elementary to provide hundreds of brand-new coats to every child in the school through its partnership with Operation Warm. This heartfelt initiative is part of Thomas’ Breads commitment to easing the financial strain on local families, guaranteeing their children stay safe and active.
Operation Warm’s mission has always been focused on the whole child. Their tagline, “more than a coat” means their coats don’t just provide physical warmth, but also emotional warmth, the confidence to socialize and succeed, and hope of a brighter future.
The gift of a brand-new coat or pair of shoes has become a bridge between Operation Warm’s partners and families to access critical resources.
For the last 27 years, Operation Warm has served over 5,000,000 children in 2,100 communities across North America.
Through this partnership, Thomas’ aims to reach thousands of students, offering not just coats, but a confident start to the season.
Principal of Brockett Elementary Antoinette Seabrook said she feels blessed to see the students receive new coats for the winter.
“Our kids come to school every day and do such a good job. They listen to their teachers; they do anything we ask and anything that we can do to give back to them. I’m so overjoyed,” she said.
Seabrook also says the partnership with Thomas’ Breads and Operation Warm is new and they didn’t know about it until they reached out to the school.
“I hope this is a lasting partnership and I hope that there’s ways that we can also give back and help them do other initiatives,” she said.
Collaboration efforts like these, she says, shows community and the ability for everybody to get together and work together.
“It truly shows the community that we all come together to support and uplift these kids who really need to know we are all there for them,” she said. “I think it’s important for kids to see what others do for them, so they know they can do it for others.”
Additionally, Seabrook said to be kind and take care of one another this holiday season.
Sr. Director of Sales at Bimbo Bakeries USA Catalina Giraldo said seeing the kids light up and smile big brings her joy.
“When I see these kids get their coats, it’s beautiful and amazing to witness. It’s truly rewarding seeing their reactions and excitement,” she said.
Additionally, she said the company tries to do events like these for the community once a year.
“This is the third time we’ve had an event like this in Atlanta. The first two times involved giving students shoes and this time it’s coats. We like to give back to the community, especially kids and make sure they have a coat to get warm or shoes to wear,” she said.
She also said it’s important to give back to the community because as a company, they have an obligation to give back to their community.
“We have an obligation to these students, to our community, not just with coats, but also with our time and willingness to be out here a part of the community.
Representative of Operation Warm, Nia Means says their mission is to provide warmth and competence to under-resourced kids in the community and ensure all their partners can make lasting relationships even after these types of events.
Means also says collaborating with schools like Brockett Elementary is important because the school falls into Thomas’ Bread’s area of responsibility.
“We always think it’s really important to branch out because with making lasting connections, we also want them to grow,” she said. “So, partnering with Brockett Elementary was another way of introducing them to a whole new part of the community, so we don’t get stuck in a little bubble.”
She also said the best part about the collaboration and giving back is seeing the students’ faces light up and understanding what it means for them.
“It’s a shopping experience for them, and they really get the chance to choose what they like and what feels right for them,” she said. “We have quite a few kids who say, ‘Hey, I got a little brother at home. I have a sister at home, please make sure to take one to them’. You really see that the kids know, ‘Hey, this is for us, and these people are here to help us’, and they’re really open to it. I love to see how open and receptive they are.”
